Lantau Island is our island. The island where we live in th town of Discovery Bay, the island where the airport is located, and which most people of Hong Kong consider the "country". 90% of it is not inhabitanted. There are small traditional fishing villages along is shores...in site of the huge new airport, but still. People come to Lantau island to go to the beaches, go boating, hike, and visit the Big Buddha. So, yesterday, we decided to visit him, too. You take the bus from our flat to the town of Tung Chung about 15 minutes away. Then you walk to the cable car area, buy tickets, and get on the cable car. My family opted for a glass bottomed one...because it would be most terrifying to the mother. There really were stunning views, but I really didn't like the trip in the cable car at all.
Always a line....
Lizzy took all the Flat SandHillians from my sister's class
He's not really scared...just trying to make it more terrifying for me.
They spent much of the long cable car ride flat on the floor watching the hikers on the trail below.
The inside of the temple. Very shiny and golden.
Inside one of the side rooms
This was an interesting trip for us. The Big Buddha isn't new. It was built in 1993. The Po Lin monastery was built in 1906 and the Buddha statue is an extension of it. We only saw a couple monks, but they do still live there. This is the largest Buddha in this part of the world and many Buddhist folks go to it as a sort of pilgrimage now.
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I love following the adventures you guys are taking! This place looks really neat. Except the glass bottomed cable car. That's not cool. At all. Esther, I hope your heart has recovered!
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